NL adds Internet courses connection - Apr 5, 2001

W.LEBANON--New Lebanon's schools are connecting to the Adirondack
Area Network, an education-based Internet server with links to various
distance learning programs and college
courses. Prior to adopting the 2001-02 budget
Tuesday night, the school board heard a presentation from district Technology
Coordinator Sean Kelleher, a computer expert and supporter of the BOCES-backed
virtual classroom experience. Without the costly
addition of a satellite dish, he said, the revamped Junior-Senior High School
will soon be linked to live lessons and field trips beamed from centers of
learning like Hudson Valley Community College, Albany Medical Center and the
state museum. The $12,000 link, which the board
approved, will not require any major adjustments to the district's new wiring
or the purchase of new hardware. And, said Mr. Kelleher, funding opportunities
exist to lower the cost in coming years. He pointed
to several benefits of the network, including instruction at the college level
for accelerated students, professional development programs for teachers,
school board interaction with regional authorities and the potential for
community access. Even if just a handful of
district residents sought to take emergency medical classes that would
otherwise be cost prohibitive, explained Mr. Kelleher, New Lebanon could
provide them through distance learning. The school will be able to link with
other districts like Berlin should class sizes here be too
small. The potential for medical instruction,
according to Mr. Kelleher, is a plus for an area in desperate need of
volunteer rescue personnel. "I can see great
community possibilities with that," he said. And
with every SUNY college recently agreeing to accept credits from throughout
the system, said Superintendent Muriel Lanciault, students here could get a
leg up on their post-secondary education by getting long-distance credit from
HVCC. She agreed with Mr. Kelleher's assessment of
the program, touting the benefits of bringing the public into the
Junior-Senior High School for classes. That presence, she said, assures
citizens their decision to approve the building's extensive renovation project
was a good one. --Matthew
Sheehey